ANewElectricVWBusIsComingandCouldUseaniPadforControls

Volkswagen has announced the VW Bus is coming back, sparking a “new generation of Microbus fans.” Based on the company’s award-winning I.D. Buzz concept electric vehicle, the first 21st century VW Bus should arrive in 2022 in the United States, Europe, and China.

According to Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management for the Volkswagen brand:

For me, the I.D. Buzz concept is the most beautiful and most exciting electric car in the world.

Our goal is clear: we want to make the fully electric, fully connected car a bestseller around the world. The iconic car of the electric age must be a Volkswagen.

One of the most exciting new features on the VW Bus could be the “I.D. Pilot” mode, which could go into production by 2025. The autonomous technology could include a “fold-away steering wheel and pop-up laser scanners in the roof to a heads-up display that integrates augmented reality, the I.D. Buzz does not lack for innovation.”

Of note, rather than offering a cluster with multiple buttons and gauges, the current I.D. Buzz concept (see below) includes a touch-sensitive display in the center that looks like an iPad. It will be interesting to see what type of input Apple will have — if any — as the new car gets closer to production.